Bitch Media - Johnny Weirhttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/7089/0
enNeed another reason to love Johnny Weir?http://bitchmagazine.org/post/need-another-reason-to-love-johnny-weir
<p>A recent PR scuffle proved that ice-skating champ Johnny Weir is the bigger man when it comes to commentary...not that he gives a sh** what a man should or shouldn't be. </p>
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In response to two Quebecois commentators who <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Fury+over+homophobic+treatment+Johnny+Weir/2601321/story.html">spoke derogatorily</a> of Weir and said he should take a gender test, Weir responded by issuing an awesome statement that touched on identity, free speech, life in the public eye, and the changing acceptance of gender, saying "I think masculinity and femininity is something that's very old fashioned."</p>
<p>And Weir practices what he preaches. He doesn't talk about his personal life or sexuality because he doesn't think it should define who he is, saying "I don't think the fact I'm a figure skater matters. I don't think who I sleep with matters. I don't think where I'm from matters. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am. I don't feel there's anything that anybody has to be out and about about. I think you should be out about being yourself. You need to be out and really own who you are."</p>
<p>Go Johnny go! </p>
<p>Oh, and if you need ANOTHER reason to love Johnny Weir here he is skating to Lady Gaga. </p>
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<a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/02/26/johnny-weir">Johnny Weir is Awesome</a> [Slog]<br />
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-oly-fig-weir-broadcasters-comments,0,2732124.story"><br />
Broadcasters who made derogatory slurs about Weir should think, skater says, not apologize</a> [LA Times]</p>
<p>Transcript:<br />
I'm not somebody to cry about something or to feel weak about something. I felt very defiant when I saw these comments. I felt that it wasn't… these two men criticizing my skating, it wasn't them criticizing my… anything. It was them criticizing me as a person. And that was something that really frankly pissed me off more than anything. So I felt like I had to make a comment and statement that I hope more kids cans grow up the same way that I did. That more kids feel the freedom that I feel to be themselves and to express themselves. And that's the most important thing. That's the message I want to come out of all of this. Because out of ugly, I think the most important thing to do in life is make something beautiful. </p>
<p>I can't say anything mean, I'm totally for freedom of speech and voicing your own opinion so I can't like have them fired because they voiced their opinion and they'r on television. I've heard worse in bathrooms and whatnot about me so…(laughs). it's not a big issue for me that they said it, it's just that I didn't… I didn't want other kids to have that same issue. And other people in the public eye to have that issue. If I had the chance to sit down with them over a <i>poutine</i> I think…I think we'd all be lovely people together, I think they would see who I really am, because being an athlete and being a figure skater I rarely have the opportunity to voice my opinion without it being misquoted, I'm always thought of this sparkly flamboyant character that wore a crown of roses. I mean that's what people see of me and they come up with a notion of what I must be like. And aside from my circle of very close friends and people, nobody knows me. Nobody knows what makes me tick . Nobody knows what's inside here (points to head) and here (points to heart). </p>
<p>I think masculinity is what you believe it to be. To me, masculinity…it's all my perception. And I think I think masculinity and femininity is something that's very old fashioned. There's a whole new generation of people that aren't defined by their sex or their race or who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in and that's the most important things. </p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/need-another-reason-to-love-johnny-weir#commentsgender rolesJohnny WeirSportsSat, 27 Feb 2010 01:38:16 +0000Kjerstin Johnson2893 at http://bitchmagazine.org